I'll probably get lambasted for this, but why the hell wasn't he here for the first day of camp? Every other Russian was. I understand sometimes there's customs and stuff to go through so if that was the case forgive me.

With a shortened season, team/league MVP/lead scorer/top player or not, you should be expected to be at a team function no matter what. I also understand that he's in "mid-season" form, and probably doesn't need as much ramp-up time as some of the other players, but still...

I'm an old-schooler. I like to practice a lot. The more I practice, the better I feel. Of course, sometimes you need a day off; but for me, not very often. I feel a lot worse after a day off than if I don't take any.